Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News articles from January 9 2004

Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News archives from January 9 2004

Hundreds Show up in Aberdeen, S.D., for Cattlemen's Beef Bucks Coupons.
January 9, 2004... By Scott Waltman, American News, Aberdeen, S.D. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--Safe to say Aberdeen area residents aren't afraid to eat beef. Driving through the Kessler's parking lot is more dangerous than having a...

Georgia Airport Tightens Security Policy.
January 9, 2004... By Mary Lou Pickel, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--Passengers at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport will need boarding passes to get past the security checkpoint starting Saturday, a...

Georgia Governor Softens Stance against Cash Incentives for Luring Companies.
January 9, 2004... By Peralte C. Paul, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--One day after one of his aides said "never again," Gov. Sonny Perdue refused to rule out the use of cash incentives in future attempts to...

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Residential Real Estate Column.
January 9, 2004... By Tinah Saunders, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--Jack Wallach wanted a pool and more privacy. His wife, Ann, wanted to stay in her comfortable West Wesley Road neighborhood in Buckhead. So...

Holiday Sales Were Best Since 1999 for U.S. Retailers.
January 9, 2004... By Renee DeGross, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--After enduring a frustrating start to the holiday shopping season, big retailers benefited from a late spending surge that produced the best...

Jefferson County, Texas, Ag Staff Stays in Downtown Building; Repairs Expected.
January 9, 2004... By Beth Gallaspy, The Beaumont Enterprise, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--BEAUMONT, Texas -- Instead of a promised new building at Ford Park, the county's agricultural extension service and the people they serve...

Southeast Texas Regional Airport Wants to Lure Second Commercial Carrier.
January 9, 2004... By Beth Gallaspy, The Beaumont Enterprise, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--A drop in passengers flying to and from Southeast Texas Regional Airport this past year is not deterring airport promoters from trying to lure a...

Higher Natural Gas Prices Will Increase Southeast Texas Customers' Bills Soon.
January 9, 2004... By Christine Rappleye, The Beaumont Enterprise, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--Colder temperatures and recent natural gas price increases will mean higher bills for local customers, a gas company official said...

Groves, Texas, Hospital to be Bought, Renovated by Houston-Based Company.
January 9, 2004... By Jamie Reid, The Beaumont Enterprise, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--Prayers floating up from struggling Doctors' Hospital in Groves could be answered in the next few months. The Houston-based Renaissance...

Detroit Free Press Mike Wendland Column.
January 9, 2004... By Mike Wendland, Detroit Free Press Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--WHERE RADIO HAS GONE, TV WILL FOLLOW: LAS VEGAS -- So your carpool is getting weary of listening to Roberta Jasina or Paul W. Smith on the way to work. Well,...

Erie, Pa.-Area Businesses Honored.
January 9, 2004... By Peter Panepento, Erie Times-News, Pa. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--The Economic Development Corp. of Erie County honored several local companies Thursday for their recent investments in Erie County. Logistics Plus...

Ethanol Plant Eyed for Meadville, Pa., Area.
January 9, 2004... By John Bartlett, Erie Times-News, Pa. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--MEADVILLE, Pa. -- Crawford County farmer George Greig wonders if in his fields of corn he's growing a small part of the nation's future fuel supply. ...

Broward County, Fla., Launches Campaign against Aggressive Drivers.
January 9, 2004... By Jaime Hernandez, South Florida Sun-Sentinel Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--Charles Miller experiences it at least once a day on Interstate 595: An aggressive driver speeds by, tailgates or cuts him...

President Bush Nets $1.5 Million in Palm Beach County, Fla., Campaign Stop.
January 9, 2004... South Florida Sun-Sentinel Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--A day after his re-election campaign announced raising $130 million in 2003, President Bush picked up more than $1.5 million Thursday in a four-hour visit to Palm Beach...

Budget Woes Force Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to Lay Off or 'Bump' Employees.
January 9, 2004... By Brittany Wallman, South Florida Sun-Sentinel Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Valerie Florestal changed careers at age 46 because she wanted the security of a government job. At midnight on Jan. 31,...

Florida Officials Launch Aggressive Bid to Crack Down on Medicare Fraud.
January 9, 2004... By Fred Schulte, South Florida Sun-Sentinel Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- State officials say they are mounting an aggressive campaign to crack down on fraud and abuse in the state's Medicaid...

Miami Commissioners Endorse Consultant's Proposal for New Baseball Stadium.
January 9, 2004... By Sarah Talalay, South Florida Sun-Sentinel Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--MIAMI -- Miami city commissioners endorsed a city consultant's proposal Thursday to build a new stadium for the Florida Marlins adjacent to a what...

Detroit Free Press Tom Walsh Column.
January 9, 2004... By Tom Walsh, Detroit Free Press Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--MAYOR: IT'S TIME TO REPLACE COBO: Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick wants to build a huge new convention center -- and possibly a large adjacent hotel -- in Detroit to...

New Trucker Regulations Create Dilemma as Cost-Increase Estimates Mount.
January 9, 2004... By David Lyman, Detroit Free Press Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--New rules affecting the work hours of the nation's 3.1 million truckers will take money out of the pockets of every American and turn many drivers into...

GM Expects 2004 Sales, Profits to Show Gains; Shares Hit 52-Week High.
January 9, 2004... By Jeffrey McCracken, Detroit Free Press Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--General Motors Corp. told Wall Street it expects its profits to grow 10 to 15 percent in 2004 as auto sales in the United States grow for the first time...

Southfield, Mich., Auto Supplier Lear Has Rosy Outlook on Economy, New Sales.
January 9, 2004... By Jocelyn Parker, Detroit Free Press Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--Auto-interiors supplier Lear Corp. said Thursday it would grow its profit in 2004 as the company reaps the benefits of new business and an improving...

Auto Parts Maker Visteon Projects Profit after Years of Losses.
January 9, 2004... By Jamie Butters, Detroit Free Press Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--Visteon Corp. expects to earn a small net profit this year after losing at least $1.6 billion from 2001 to 2003, executives said Thursday. If Visteon...

The Dallas Morning News Leverage Column.
January 9, 2004... By Cheryl Hall, The Dallas Morning News Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--What resolutions have you made for 2004? How long do you seriously expect to keep them? And what resolutions would you mandate for other business...

Technology Executives Take Aim at American Living Rooms.
January 9, 2004... By Crayton Harrison, The Dallas Morning News Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--LAS VEGAS -- This is the year, technology executives believe, that the personal computer takes over the living room. At the Consumer Electronics...

American Airlines May Bid for US Airways Shuttle.
January 9, 2004... By Eric Torbenson, The Dallas Morning News Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--If US Airways Group Inc.'s East Coast shuttle is up for sale, American Airlines Inc. could be a likely bidder. "American would make the most out of...

Georgia Insurance Commission Probes Columbus, Ga., 'Payday' Loan Chain.
January 9, 2004... By Tony Adams, Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, Ga. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--Georgia Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine wants a face-to-face meeting with a Columbus businessman who owns a chain of loan companies suspected...

Study Gets Mixed Reactions for Telling Public to Cut Back on Farmed Salmon.
January 9, 2004... By Mike Taugher, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--Farmed salmon is several times higher in cancer-causing chemicals than fish caught in the wild and should be consumed on a limited...

California Hopes Online Shoppers Will Volunteer to Pay Taxes.
January 9, 2004... By George Avalos, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--California's tax collectors want to make sure the Golden State doesn't get a raw deal in cyberspace. As Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger...

Retailers Get Holiday Surprise -- Better Than Expected Sales.
January 9, 2004... The Baltimore Sun Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--Shoppers delivered a late surprise to the nation's retailers. Retailers yesterday thankfully reported that a sales spike in late December more than salvaged the Christmas...

Labor, Immigrant Advocacy Groups in Baltimore Criticize Immigrant Law Changes.
January 9, 2004... By Stacey Hirsh, The Baltimore Sun Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--Local labor and immigrant advocacy groups in Baltimore yesterday sharply criticized President Bush's proposed changes in U.S. immigration law, saying the...

Proposed Four Seasons Hotel in Baltimore Wins Preliminary Approval from Panel.
January 9, 2004... By June Arney, The Baltimore Sun Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--The $130 million Four Seasons hotel and residence project, billed as an "urban resort," at Harbor East received preliminary approval from the city's design...

Debate Rages in Maryland over Allowing Hospitals to Perform Heart Procedure.
January 9, 2004... By M. William Salganik, The Baltimore Sun Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--A push toward allowing more Maryland hospitals to perform a profitable heart procedure triggered fierce arguments yesterday, with cardiologists and...

Consumer Debt Skyrockets to Record High; Christmas Buying Fuels Credit Crunch.
January 9, 2004... By Eileen Ambrose, The Baltimore Sun Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--Holiday bills are beginning to pour in, forcing a large number of Americans to soberly assess the state of their personal finances. For many the verdict...

The Brownsville Herald, Texas, Business Briefs Column.
January 9, 2004... The Brownsville Herald, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--BROWNSVILLE AREA TO SEE FUTURE JOB GROWTH: The Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito metropolitan statistical area is among nine areas in Texas expected to exceed the...

Retailers in Downtown Boulder, Colo., Get Mixed Bag of News.
January 9, 2004... By Matt Branaugh, Daily Camera, Boulder, Colo. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--Fewer locals are visiting. But a burgeoning out-of-state clientele is boosting spending per visitor. That's the main picture drawn from a survey...

Belleville, Ill., Businessman Protests City's Denial of Financing Assistance.
January 9, 2004... By Scott Wuerz, Belleville News-Democrat, Ill. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--BELLEVILLE, Ill.--A Sherman Street businessman said he feels like he was "stabbed in the back" after the city rejected his request for tax...

Belleville News-Democrat, Ill., Business Beat Column.
January 9, 2004... By Will Buss, Belleville News-Democrat, Ill. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--NOVEMBER HOME SALES DOWN: Illinois Association of Realtors President John Kmiecik said a 2 percent dip in November homes sales between 2002 and 2003...

D'Iberville, Miss., Casino Developers Await Permit Approval.
January 9, 2004... By Timothy Boone, The Sun Herald, Biloxi, Miss. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--D'IBERVILLE, Miss. -- It will be at least "a couple of weeks" before the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issues a permit for the Royal D'Iberville...

State Deficits, Tax Code Remain Obstacles in Connecticut, Official Says.
January 9, 2004... By Rob Varnon, Connecticut Post, Bridgeport Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--NORWALK, Conn.--The state is facing some serious problems that go beyond the controversy swirling around Gov. John G. Rowland, a top state official...

Jobless Claims Increase 'Normal' in Connecticut.
January 9, 2004... By Pam Dawkins, Connecticut Post, Bridgeport Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--An increase in the number of first-time jobless claims isn't necessarily a sign that job growth has stalled, local economists said Thursday. ...

District Judge in Beaumont, Texas, to Decide on Bridgestone Tire Settlement.
January 9, 2004... By Rachel Stone, The Beaumont Enterprise, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--BEAUMONT, Texas -- A civil district judge here has about 8 feet of legal paperwork to read and absorb in the coming weeks before making a...

Two Veteran Congressmen in Texas Could Be Pitted against Each Other.
January 9, 2004... Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--Two of Texas' most powerful lawmakers, who are on opposite ends of the political spectrum in Congress, have taken jabs at each other over the prospect of becoming...

Photo Printing, Digital Camera Technology Continue to Improve.
January 9, 2004... By Jim Fuquay, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--LAS VEGAS -- When David Erne considers the new owners of the estimated 12 million digital cameras sold nationwide last year, he can only hope they...

Holiday Sales Met Forecasts, But Price Cuts Eroded Stores' Profit Margins.
January 9, 2004... By Heather Landy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--In the end, it was the consumer who had the edge this season in the annual standoff between bargain-hungry holiday shoppers and anxious...

Telecom Stocks Surge.
January 9, 2004... By Bobby White, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--Whap! Whap! That was the sound of Verizon Communications slugging competitors with dual roll outs announced Wednesday and Thursday. The...

Cambridge, Mass.-Based Firm May Need More Trials for Blood Substitute.
January 9, 2004... By Jeffrey Krasner, The Boston Globe Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--In a major blow to Biopure Corp. and its hopes of winning approval for a blood substitute derived from cows, the company may be required to conduct...

'Reality Is Driving Expectation' as Tech Visions of '90s Find Foothold.
January 9, 2004... By Michael Prager, The Boston Globe Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--LAS VEGAS -- The hot items at the 37th Consumer Electronics Show, which officially opened here yesterday, are not any particular gizmos but "convergence" and...

The Boston Globe Downtown Column.
January 9, 2004... By Steve Bailey, The Boston Globe Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--Move over, Gloria Larson. Last year Boston magazine published "The Power Issue: 100 Women Who Run This Town." It was one of those lists that those who...

U.S. Spending on Medical Care Balloons; Consumers Bearing More of Cost.
January 9, 2004... By Liz Kowalczyk, The Boston Globe Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--US spending on medical care in 2002 climbed much faster than the rest of the economy for the second straight year, with consumers shouldering more of the...

Massachusetts State Attorney Wants More Authority over Mutual Fund Abuses.
January 9, 2004... By Andrew Caffrey, The Boston Globe Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--State Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly wants a piece of Secretary of State William F. Galvin's mutual fund action. Reilly yesterday potentially set off a...

Billerica, Mass.-Based Maker of Internet Equipment Rides Wave with Nortel Pact.
January 9, 2004... By Peter J. Howe, The Boston Globe Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--Shares of Avici Systems Inc., a Billerica maker of super-high-capacity Internet equipment, soared nearly 30 percent yesterday after Canadian telecommunications...

US Export-Import Bank Loans Textile Executive $35 Million to Buy Back Mills.
January 9, 2004... By Ross Kerber, The Boston Globe Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--The US Export-Import Bank gave textile executive Aaron M. Feuerstein $35 million in loan guarantees yesterday for his attempt to buy back control of Malden Mills...

Unified Messaging May Become Reality under Verizon's Business Plan for 2004.
January 9, 2004... By Peter J. Howe, The Boston Globe Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--Home phone, work phone, cellphone, voice mailboxes, e-mail, and instant messaging all interconnected in a "communications command center" that once would have...

World Bank Set to Open Jordan Office.
January 9, 2004... By Stephen J. Glain, The Boston Globe Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--WASHINGTON -- The World Bank is preparing to open an office in Jordan as a first step toward allocating billions of dollars in aid for Iraq's...

Pikes Peak Region of Colorado Has Banner Year in Single-Family Home Sales.
January 9, 2004... By Rich Laden, The Gazette, Colorado Springs, Colo. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--After a rough start during the first six months, the Pikes Peak region's single-family housing market recorded one of its best years in 2003....

Colorado Springs, Colo.-Region's Housing Market Winds Up with Stellar 2003.
January 9, 2004... By Rich Laden, The Gazette, Colorado Springs, Colo. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--After a rough start during the first six months, the Pikes Peak region's single-family housing market recorded one of its best years in 2003....

Wyomissing, Pa.-Based Penn National Gaming to Buy Maine Race Track.
January 9, 2004... By Tom Dochat, The Patriot-News, Harrisburg, Pa. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9-- Penn National Gaming Inc. is buying a harness-racing track in Bangor, Maine, that is preparing to install slot machines. Penn National said...

Last-Minute Boom Makes for Cheery Holiday Sales for New Jersey Retailers.
January 9, 2004... By Joan Verdon, The Record, Hackensack, N.J. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--Holiday shoppers took their time this year, but in the end they came through for retailers, ending December with a surge in spending and ringing up...

Northwest Airlines' Added Flight in Portland, Ore., Goes Non-Stop to Tokyo.
January 9, 2004... By Greg Stiles, Mail Tribune, Medford, Ore. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--Northwest Airlines' new Portland to Tokyo non-stop flight that begins June 10 will provide Medford air travelers another option for entry to Asia....

Florida's Department of Education Scores $9 Million in State Funds.
January 9, 2004... By Marc Caputo, The Miami Herald Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- State lawmakers approved $9 million Thursday for Florida's embattled Department of Education, even as they blasted the agency for needing...

Scientists, Entertainers Can Stay in U.S. Under 'Extraordinary'-Ability Visas.
January 9, 2004... By Douglas Hanks III, The Miami Herald Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--Even among the other sultry-eyed, olive-skinned, chiseled-chested models on Miami Beach, Fabrizio Brienza stands out as an extraordinary specimen. ...

Modesto, Calif., Century 21 Office Buys Real Estate Firm in Tracy.
January 9, 2004... By J.N. Sbranti, The Modesto Bee, Calif. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--The fast-growing Century 21 M&M and Associates has expanded again, this time buying a Tracy real estate office. "This is our 10th anniversary, and...

Memphis, Tenn., Officials Hope to Land Multi-Headliner Event for Arena's Debut.
January 9, 2004... By David Williams, The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9-- A nationally televised, multi-headliner concert is being proposed as the first major event at FedExForum. The early September show...

Milwaukee Apartment, Retail Development Is Proposed.
January 9, 2004... By Tom Daykin, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--A $7 million apartment and retail development has been proposed for a reviving business district on Milwaukee's northwest side. General Capital...

Verizon Unveils Plan for $3Billion in Upgrades.
January 9, 2004... By Martha McKay, The Record, Hackensack, N.J. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--Verizon will spend $3 billion for upgrades that include a new high-speed wireless network, a gadget that turns a phone into a "communications...

ConocoPhillips Says Oil, Gas Production Up.
January 9, 2004... By Nelson Antosh, Houston Chronicle Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--ConocoPhillips, in an interim update on its fourth quarter, said oil and gas production was up slightly while its refining margins were down. The...

Enron's Deadline Set again to Vote on Reorganization Plan.
January 9, 2004... By Eric Berger, Houston Chronicle Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--Enron Corp. received an additional five months to conduct a vote on its plan of reorganization Wednesday, extending the deadline through the end of May. ...

Houston Chronicle Working Column.
January 9, 2004... By L.M. Sixel, Houston Chronicle Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--CLEVER COMPANIES TURN THOUGHTS TO KEEPING WORKERS: In a tough economy, like the one we're in, it comes as no surprise that many people feel stuck in their jobs....

Jacksonville, Fla.-Based Fashion Retailer's Holiday Sales Rise.
January 9, 2004... By Mark Basch, The Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--After months of disappointing sales reports, Stein Mart Inc. said Thursday that holiday season sales were better than expected, and the...

United Healthcare to Drop 8,000 Customers in Florida.
January 9, 2004... By Sarah Skidmore, The Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--United Healthcare, one of the state's largest health insurers, will not be renew the policies of nearly 8,000 customers statewide who...

CIGNA Insurance Prepares for More Layoffs in Connecticut, other States.
January 9, 2004... By Diane Levick, The Hartford Courant, Conn. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--CIGNA Corp., preparing to launch another major round of layoffs, gave employees Thursday the first overall glimpse of how and where the cuts will be...

Health Care Spending in U.S. Reached Record $1.6 Trillion in 2002.
January 9, 2004... By John A. MacDonald, The Hartford Courant, Conn. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--WASHINGTON -- U.S. health care spending hit a record $1.6 trillion in 2002, pushed up by higher hospital and prescription drug costs, the...

Stratford, Conn.-Based Sikorsky May Build Black Hawk Helicopters In Turkey.
January 9, 2004... By Michael Remez, The Hartford Courant, Conn. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--Sikorsky Aircraft confirmed Thursday it has entered into talks with a Turkish aerospace company to explore the possibility of assembling Black Hawk...

The Record, Hackensack, N.J., Business People Column.
January 9, 2004... The Record, Hackensack, N.J. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--GORDON HUNZIKER of Glen Ridge has joined Valley National Bank, Wayne, as a vice president and business development officer in the Professionals Group. Hunziker...

New Jersey Judge Delays Lawsuit of Shareholders of Now-Defunct Cheese Company.
January 9, 2004... By Hugh R. Morley, The Record, Hackensack, N.J. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--A shareholder suit against top executives of now-defunct Suprema Specialties of Paterson was delayed for four months Thursday, one day after...

Parsippany, N.J., Construction Firm to Build New CDC Headquarters in Atlanta.
January 9, 2004... By Allison Pries, The Record, Hackensack, N.J. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--Parsippany-based Skanska USA Building Inc. announced on Thursday that it has been selected to head an $81 million project building a new...

Gay Couples to Get New Rights in New Jersey; Partnership Legislation Passes.
January 9, 2004... The Record, Hackensack, N.J. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--New Jersey will become one of the few states in the nation to give gay couples some of the same rights as married couples under a bill that passed the state Senate...

New Jersey Lawmakers Move to Regulate Home Schooling.
January 9, 2004... By Leslie Brody, The Record, Hackensack, N.J. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--New Jersey home-schoolers have bombarded Bergen County lawmakers with hundreds of e-mails and dozens of phone calls in recent days to stop any...

IKEA Makes Itself at Home in New Jersey; Paramus, N.J., Store Fares Well.
January 9, 2004... By Joan Verdon, The Record, Hackensack, N.J. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--On Christmas Day, most store managers breathed a sigh of relief that their busiest work days were behind them. Not Bob Kay, manager of the IKEA...

Kansas City, Mo., Foundation Examines Entrepreneurial Activity in 41 Countries.
January 9, 2004... By Aman Batheja, The Kansas City Star, Mo. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Entrepreneurial activity in the United States rose slightly in 2003, and optimism in the global economy is growing, according to a...

The Kansas City Star, Mo., Jerry Heaster Column.
January 9, 2004... By Jerry Heaster, The Kansas City Star, Mo. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--FOR NOW, DON'T SWEAT DOLLAR'S DIP: KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- W ill the dollar's decline become the fatal factor that brings the current economic expansion...

Results at Salina, Kan., Livestock Auction Are a Pleasant Surprise.
January 9, 2004... By Tim Unruh, The Salina Journal, Kan. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--Optimistic buyers and sellers huddled in the chilly arena next to a number of curious spectators as Mike Samples launched the action. "We're gonna...

Salina, Kan., School Board Zeroes in on Selecting New School Superintendent.
January 9, 2004... By Michael Strand, The Salina Journal, Kan. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--"Now's when our job really starts," is how Salina School Board president Richard Brake described the next few, final weeks of the process of...

Iraqi Forces Ill Equipped to Take Over Country's Security.
January 9, 2004... By Tom Lasseter, Lexington Herald-Leader, Ky. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 9--BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The Iraqi forces that are supposed to assume control of the nation's security are suffering from inadequate training, poor pay,...